System and method for controlling a wireless device

• US 8,275,424 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McCoy, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US12/591,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20100061278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/127.4, 455/574
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/50 using different frequencies for the two directions of communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15557 Selecting relay station operation mode, e.g. between amplify and forward mode, decode and forward mode or FDD - and TDD mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/16 Half-duplex systems; Simplex/duplex switching; Transmission of break signals non-automatically inverting the direction of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method is provided for controlling operation of a wireless device, including: receiving an initial incoming signal from a remote device in a first operational mode, the initial incoming signal including information related to an initial remaining battery power in the remote device; determining that a second operational mode will be a first possible mode if the initial remaining battery power in the remote device is within a first power range; determining that the second operational mode will be a second possible mode if the initial remaining battery power in the remote device is within a second power range; and transmitting instructions to the remote device in the first operational mode to transmit and receive in the second operational mode.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, including:

receiving an initial incoming signal from a remote device in a first operational mode, the initial incoming signal including information related to an initial remaining battery power in the remote device;

determining that a second operational mode will be a first possible mode if the initial, remaining battery power in the remote device is within a first range;

determining that the second operational mode will be a second possible mode if the initial remaining battery power in the remote device is within a second range;

transmitting instructions to the remote device in the first operational mode to transmit and receive in the second operational mode;

receiving an operational incoming signal from a remote device in the second operational mode after transmitting the instructions to the remote device, the operational incoming signal including information related to a revised remaining battery power in the remote device;

determining that a third operational mode will be the first possible mode if the revised remaining battery power in the remote device is within the first range;

determining that the third operational mode will be the second possible mode if the revised remaining battery power in the remote device is within the second range; and

transmitting instructions to the remote device in the second operational mode to transmit and receive in the third operational mode.

2. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiving of the operational incoming signal, the determining that the third operational mode will be the first possible mode if the current revised remaining battery power in the remote device is within the first range, the determining that the third operational mode will be the second possible mode if the revised remaining battery power in the remote device is within the second range, and the transmitting the instructions to the remote device are periodically repeated, the third operational mode from a previous iteration being considered the second operational mode for new iteration.

3. The method for controlling the operation of a remote device in a wireless network, as recited in claim 1, wherein the first possible mode is one of a full duplex mode and a half-duplex mode, and the second possible mode is another of the full duplex mode and the half-duplex mode.

4. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 1, further including:

receiving an request incoming signal from a remote device in the third operational mode after transmitting the instructions to the remote device to transmit in the third operational mode, the request incoming signal including a request for assignment of a requested mode, and information related to a current remaining battery power in the remote device;

determining whether the requested mode is an appropriate mode by considering the current remaining battery power in the remote device;

setting a third operational mode to be the requested mode if the requested mode is appropriate;

setting the third operational mode to be an alternate mode if the requested mode is not appropriate; and

transmitting instructions to the remote device in the third operational mode to transmit and receive in a fourth operational mode.

5. The method for controlling the operation of a remote device in a wireless network, as recited in claim 4, wherein the fourth operational mode is one of the first operational mode and the second operational mode.

6. A method for controlling operation of a wireless device, including:

receiving an initial incoming signal from a remote device in a first operational mode, the initial incoming signal including information related to an initial remaining battery power in the remote device;

determining that a second operational mode will be a first possible mode if the initial remaining battery power in the remote device is within a first power range;

determining that the second operational mode will be a second possible mode if the initial remaining battery power in the remote device is within a second power range; and

transmitting instructions to the remote device in the first operational mode to transmit and receive in the second operational mode;

wherein the first possible mode comprises a full duplex mode and the second possible mode comprises a half-duplex mode.

7. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 6, wherein the first operational mode comprises the half-duplex mode.

8. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 6, wherein, the remote device comprises a mobile cellular telephony device compliant with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless standard.

9. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 6, wherein, the remote device comprises a mobile cellular telephony device compliant with a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) wireless standard.

10. A method for controlling operation of a wireless device, including:

receiving an initial incoming signal from a remote device in a first operational mode, the initial incoming signal including information related to an initial remaining battery power in the remote device;

determining that a second operational mode will be a first possible mode if the initial remaining battery power in the remote device is within a first power range;

determining that the second operational mode will be a second possible mode if the initial remaining battery power in the remote device is within a second power range;

transmitting instructions to the remote device in the first operational mode to transmit and receive in the second operational mode;

receiving an operational incoming signal from a remote device in the second operational mode after transmitting the instructions to the remote device, the operational incoming signal including a request for assignment of a requested mode, and information related to a revised remaining battery power in the remote device;

determining whether the requested mode is an appropriate mode by considering the revised remaining battery power in the remote device;

setting a third operational mode to be the requested mode if the requested mode is appropriate;

setting the third operational mode to be an alternate mode if the requested mode is not appropriate; and

transmitting instructions to the remote device in the second operational mode to transmit and receive in the third operational mode.

11. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 10, wherein the first possible mode comprises a full duplex mode and the second possible mode comprises a half-duplex mode.

12. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 11, wherein the first operational mode comprises the half-duplex mode.

13. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 10, wherein the requested mode comprises one of a full duplex mode and a half-duplex mode.

14. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 10, wherein the requested mode is determined to be an appropriate mode if the revised remaining battery power in the remote device is above a power threshold.

15. A method for controlling operation of a wireless device, including:

receiving an initial incoming signal from a remote device in a first operational mode, the initial incoming signal includes a request for assignment of a requested mode and information related to an initial remaining battery power in the remote device;

determining whether the requested mode is an appropriate mode by considering the initial remaining battery power in the remote device;

setting a second operational mode to be the requested mode if the requested mode is appropriate;

setting the second operational mode to be an alternate mode if the requested mode is not appropriate; and

transmitting instructions to the remote device in the first operational mode to transmit and receive in the second operational mode;

wherein the first operational mode comprises one of a full duplex mode and a half-duplex mode, and the requested mode comprises another of the full duplex mode and the half-duplex mode.

16. A method for controlling operation of a wireless device, including:

receiving an incoming signal from a remote mobile device in a first operational mode, the incoming signal including information related to a remaining battery power in the remote mobile device;

determining that a second operational mode will be one of at least;

(i) a full duplex mode when the remaining battery power in the remote mobile device meets a first power criterion;

or (ii) a half duplex mode when the remaining battery power in the remote mobile device meets a second criterion; and

transmitting instructions to the remote mobile device in the first operational mode to subsequently transmit and receive in the second operational mode.

17. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 16, wherein the first operational mode comprises the half-duplex mode.

18. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 16, wherein, the remote device comprises a mobile cellular telephony device compliant with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless standard.

19. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 16, wherein, the remote device comprises a mobile cellular telephony device compliant with a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) wireless standard.

20. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 16, wherein the transmitting instructions to the remote mobile device is only performed when the second operational mode is a different mode than the first operational mode.